Current MinnSUG Board Members

Vicki Siemers                  vicki.siemers@usbank.com  vsiemers42@gmail.com 

I have been programming in SAS for 25 years in a variety of industries (financial, education, direct marketing, media) and on a variety of platforms (SAS EG, Base SAS on a PC, UNIX, mainframe).  I have used SAS for sample selection, reporting, data quality, and analysis.  I currently work at US Bank on the Database Marketing team, where I use SAS for list creations/sample selection for the many types of customer contact (offers, notifications, account management, surveys) that US Bank does.  I can’t imagine a job where I don’t use SAS.

I have attended the MinnSUG meetings (and its predecessors) for many years.  I find MinnSUG to be a terrific opportunity to gain new knowledge and exposure to new ideas.  It’s also a great way to network with fellow SAS users  and learn how other companies are using SAS.  I would love to be a part of the MinnSUG Board and help develop and expand the SAS community here in the Twin Cities.  I love programming (I’m a very detail-oriented person and I love the logic involved in programming) and SAS just seems to fit with me.  I think it’s one of the most diverse software platforms available and one of the most intuitive to learn.  I always call myself a SAS junkie – I go into withdrawals when I’m not using SAS.

William Kane                  William.Kane@usbank.com   kane.bill@hotmail.com 

I currently work at US Bank and lead a data analytics team. I started using SAS at Ameriprise Financial in 2011 where I helped create a department within internal audit that provided data analytics support. I’ve used a multitude of tools through my experience in data analytics and have found SAS to be the one that most consistently delivers the analysis that I need.

I’ve enjoyed attending local, regional, and national SAS events in the past and am excited to help others realize the benefits of SAS through my capacity as President and SAS Liaison.

Arlen Harmoning          akharmoning@gmail.com 

I worked for Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) for statewide payroll services. I created and maintained exception type reports and data requests using PC SAS against an Oracle database. I previously worked for North Dakota Game and Fish where I also used SAS for analysis of game and fish survey data, hunter/angler participation and expenditures and inventory of lands, fishing waters and facilities (i.e. boat ramps, walk-in hunting areas, etc.) I also developed and maintained an employee vehicle use, expense reporting and time tracking collection system that used SAS AF to integrate with the agency strategic plan and the State accounting system. I’ve used SAS in many different platforms (i.e. mainframe, Unix, PC, BI Server, EG) in the last 45+ years.

I love working with SAS and want to be on the MinnSUG board to help others know and enjoy it too.

Painter, Nicole M.         nikki.painter@usbank.com   Nikki.painter.mn@gmail.com 

I started dabbling in SAS in 2015 at The Lacek Group on the Carnival Cruise Line account and now use it daily in my Database Marketing role at U.S. Bank for customer contact campaigns. Our team replies on SAS to query and research data to gather data requirements and pull lists for internal teams and third party vendors. My favorite part of my current role is the programming. SAS EG helps us deliver value through data to our internal partners in a timely manner. It's been my experience that there's always something to learn in both SAS and data, which is what I appreciate most about this group and groups like this one.

MinnSUG meetings have been a highlight in my personal development. The meetings and small group discussions are a great way to dip your toes into new methods or wear a new hat for a day. The events and calls hosted by MinnSUG cater to not only the SAS pros but also to those who aren't as experienced or well-rounded in all of SAS capabilities and methods. I enjoy meeting like-minded coders from various industries at different levels and hearing about how they're using SAS to accomplish things we can all relate to – or might run into some day. My goal for joining the MinnSUG board is to share sharing the wealth of these highlights with others in the greater Minnesota area by helping to get the word out about upcoming events and recapping nuggets learned for those who are not able to attend them.

Koushik Dutta                koushik_dutta@uhc.com 

Jessica Sonbert sonbert.jessica@outlook.com

I was first introduced to SAS in my capacity as a Statistical Programmer Analyst at Mayo Clinic. I have used SAS on a variety of platforms across multiple industries, with healthcare being the most predominant. I utilized SAS University Edition prior to SAS on Demand for instructing college students in both introductory and advanced Statistics courses. As an independent contractor, I collaborated with doctoral candidates to design, collect, and analyze thesis data, as well as worked on government funded research projects, such as analyzing Airforce fuel cost data. I have extensive experience with R and Python as well.

Sas User Groups are an excellent forum for cultivating long-lasting relationships spanning throughout careers, across industries, and personal employment changes. I make it a priority to stay current on the latest and greatest SAS updates and offerings, attending live webinars and participating in SAS community forums. I continue pursuing certifications as well, most recently obtaining SAS Certified Professional: Advanced Programming Using SAS 9.4 and looking ahead to SAS Viya / CAS certifications. It is my hope to gain further insight and involvement into the local SAS community by joining MinnSUG as a board member.

Sidenote: I was born in Chapel Hill, NC and lived in NC most of my life. My son graduated last year from N.C. State (where SAS was originally developed). I’m also a diehard Caniac (for non-hockey enthusiasts, i.e., Carolina Hurricanes fan-attic). The SAS backdrop can be seen during most intermission player interviews. Headquartered in Cary, NC, SAS has personal ties near and dear to my heart. It doesn’t hurt that the excellent webinar hosts most often share my southern accent. 

Sara Richter SRichter@richterstats.com

PAST MinnSUG Board Members

Donalee Wanna

Mary Wendt

Kristine Brassill

Swati Argawal

Rafi Sheikh

Cody Murray

Chad Stegeman

Soma Ghosh

Amanda Klosner

Mitch Monson

BOARD OPERATION Guidelines

Board President - Has authority/responsibility to direct other Board members to accomplish tasks.

Board operating year - Generally from August through July. For purposes of Board elections, we are using the SAS sponsored meeting as our annual meeting. The transition of Board members occurs in the month of the annual meeting (i.e. if annual meeting is in July, the newly elected members become part of the Board starting immediately. The members whose terms expire should continue through the next Board meeting, the organizational meeting.).

Organizational meeting – Elect Board President and assign volunteers to other Board Roles. NOTE: for those roles without volunteers, the President should assign someone. Second NOTE: Persons assigned to roles don’t have to be Board members but can be other members who want to assist and accomplish that role for part or most of that year. The organizational meeting will generally be the August or first meeting after the SAS sponsored meeting or MinnSUG annual member meeting, after new Board members are elected.

Yearly planning meeting – at a minimum discuss and plan the next SAS sponsored meeting. This meeting should occur after the tasks involved with the organizational meeting have been accomplished. 

MinnSUG Board Election

Election process

The business of MinnSUG is accomplished by the board via conference calls and email. An election is held once a year at the SAS Institute, Inc. sponsored meeting, hereafter referred to as the annual meeting. We will vote electronically via a Survey Monkey link, with a paper ballot backup. Voting members are persons attending our annual meeting.

Commitment for serving on MinnSUG board

Nominees for MinnSUG board should have approval of their employer. While the time commitment is not large, the monthly board conference calls and the annual meeting do occur during normal business hours. Timely responses to emails is also expected, but certain tasks may be completed at other times. MinnSUG members nominating someone else should obtain their nominee’s approval before doing so.

Getting on the MinnSUG Ballot

The ballot may consist of invited persons (nominating committee) or other nominations. Nominees can self-nominate or be nominated by another qualifying member, by sending an email to minnesotasasug@gmail.com by at least one day prior to the voting at the annual meeting. The nomination email should include:

1) person’s name, 

2) a short bio,

3) why the person wants to run, and what they love about SAS. 

The MinnSUG board shall approve the final ballot and provide a brief spot on the meeting agenda for the candidates to address the attendees and voting members. Board approved nominees may also have their nomination posted to the MinnSUG website.